Monday, April 10, 2006

Too tired

I have several things to do, but I'm too tired to do any of them. I gave blood today, and it seems to have sapped my strength more than usual. This afternoon I was slogging away at the error report, and I got very frustrated -- a program that compiled before will not now, because of another necessary phase of the cleanup -- and I threw a fit. Well, it wasn't much of a fit! In fact it was barely a ghost of the ones I used to throw back in the 1980s, when I worked at the direct marketing company, and was so impetuous and arrogant. When I'd fling a printout back then, you'd know I flung something -- they were on those huge sheets of green and white striped fanfold paper; they'd make a cubicle wall shake when they hit it! But yeah, I flung one of the error reports, then I grabbed it and gestured with it as part of my rant, then I flung it again! It was such unusual behavior for me.

Afterwards I felt so much better. But still weak.

Sunday, April 09, 2006

Easter Baskets

It's hard to believe it's almost Easter already. I'll need to get some candy and make up baskets for the grandchildren -- got to give them their sugar rush! Hee. And of course I'll get some of our favorites.

When the boys were all at home I always used to make up individual Easter baskets with the candy each one liked. Firstborn was never much for sweets, but he really liked Jolly Rancher hard candies, so I'd get a bag of those. He also liked unusual things like Nik-L-Nips -- those little wax bottles with colored sweet liquid inside. I'd always look for something in that line for his basket. Stepson liked Reese's Peanut Butter Cups best, so I'd give him a lot of those. And for Young'un, there always had to be Peeps.

Peeps! I remember the first time Young'un ever saw them. He was a toddler, just tall enough that his head was even with the Easter baskets on the sun room table. I showed him the package of bright yellow Peeps, and he smiled rather formally -- as if wanting to share my enthusiasm but puzzled as to its source. "Peeps," he repeated. Then he asked, "What I do wit dem?" Oh! "You eat them," I told him, and I opened the package. Well, that's all he needed to hear! From then on, whenever he was in the sun room I'd catch him sidling over to the table, and when he left, a Peep would go with him!

So again this year, there'll be Peeps in Young'un's Easter basket. And at some point his father or I will say, "What I do wit dem?" Parents are like that. :-)

Saturday, April 08, 2006

Meme: 11/22

Go to Wikipedia. Type in your birth date (but not year). List three events that happened on your birthday. List two important birthdays and one interesting death. Post this in your journal.

Events:

1922 - Egyptology: Howard Carter, assisted by Lord Carnarvon, opens the tomb of Tutankhamun.

1963 - John F. Kennedy assassination: In Dallas, Texas, US President John F. Kennedy is assassinated and Texas Governor John B. Connally is seriously wounded. Later the same day, US Vice-President Lyndon B. Johnson is sworn in as the 36th President of the United States.

1968 - The Beatles release the double-album The Beatles, commonly known as The White Album.


Birthdays:

1890 - Charles de Gaulle, President of France (d. 1970)

1950 - Steve Van Zandt, American musician


Death:

1718 - Blackbeard (Edward Teach), British pirate


This was a fun one! Of course the event that Changed My Life (and my kids' lives) is the centerpiece, but I was surprised to learn that a few other interesting things happened on that day as well. I've always been fascinated with King Tut ("Buried in his jammies!" --S. Martin); and with the Beatles in general, and in particular the White Album (for its eerie Manson Family connection). I didn't know I shared a birthday with Le Grand Charles, and I'm Little Steven's fangirl for his music and his role on my favorite TV show. And Blackbeard the pirate died on my birthday! Who knew? "ARRRRRR!"